Water is one of the most important substances on earth. All plants and animals must have water to survive. If there was no water there would be no life on earth. Apart from drinking it to survive, people have many other uses for water.

hydroelectricity

The production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water.

industry

Nearly every manufactured product uses water during some part of the production process. Industrial water use includes water used for such purposes as fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility.

ecology

River ecosystems include river channels and its floodplains. This allows rivers to self-purify and support a great deal of life. They provide support for erosion and aid in water regulation in states of flood and low water.

economy

Water is one of the most fundamental parts of the global economy. It has been shown, that in areas without healthy water resources or sanitation services that economic growth cannot be sustained. Without access to clean water, nearly every industry would suffer.

agriculture

Most of the fresh water withdrawn from rivers and groundwater is used to produce food and other agricultural products. This includes water used in the irrigation of crops or the watering of livestock.

recreation

Active recreation, entailing direct participation, involves activities such as swimming and kayaking down rivers. Passive recreation, involving observation, includes such activities as walking/hiking along rivers, birdwatching on the shore, and watching swim competitions.

about

The Breede-Gouritz water management area (WMA) is the result of the amalgamation of the Breede WMA and the Gouritz WMA. The new WMA is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, what will be the Berg-Olifants WMA to west, the Orange WMA to the north and the Mzimvubu-Tsitsikama WMA to the East. It largely fall within the Western Cape Province, with small portions of the upper catchment of the Olifants River falling in the Eastern Cape Province, and tiny portions of the upper catchments of the Gamka and Groot Rivers falling in the Northern Cape Province.